Sentencing delayed for man convicted of shooting four people inside New York-New York

A misunderstanding between attorneys today delayed the sentencing of the man convicted of shooting four people inside the New York-New York in 2007.

In July, a District Court jury convicted Steven Zegrean of 51 charges, including attempted murder with a deadly weapon and assault with a deadly weapon.

The issue behind the delay was the belief by Zegrean’s attorneys that prosecutors would drop some of the 51 charges, specifically four counts of battery with use of a deadly weapon. Prosecutors indicated they had no intention of dropping any of the charges against the 53-year-old defendant.

Public Defender Lynn Avants said it would be “legally appropriate” for the battery charges to be dropped.

“The battery with use charges are just lessors of the same theory of the attempted murder charges,” Avants said. The charges should be merged and Zegrean sentenced only on the attempted murder convictions, Avants said. Zegrean now faces sentencing on all the charges.

Avants presumed prosecutors would go along with dropping the battery charges and had considered it a routine legal matter that would be settled in front of a judge.

Judge David Barker was not pleased that the defense made that presumption and had not filed a written motion.

Zegrean’s attorneys will next write a formal motion to have the battery charges against their client dropped.

Barker said he will hear and decide on the motion at the next sentencing hearing, scheduled for Oct. 19.

Victim witnesses who were flown in from California and Pennsylvania to testify today were asked to return next month.

Contact reporter Francis McCabe at fmccabe@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039.